Coil winder and method of winding alpha coil



April 17, 1934. A. DOBLE COIL WlNDER AND METHOD OF WINDING A com INVENTOR. Abner Dob/c ATTORNEYS.

Filed Jan. 3, 1930 Patented Apr. 17, 1934 UNITED STATES COIL WINDER AND METHOD OF WINDING A COIL I Abner Doble, Berkeley, Calif.

Application January 3, 1930, Serial No. 418,241

9 Claims.

My invention relates to the formation of a member such as a tube into a coil of pancake or spiral form. Such a coil is particularly useful in heat exchange devices such as boilers, evaporators, feed water heaters, and refrigerators. It is usual to space the convolutions forming the coil from each other so that fluid can circulate around the convolutions.

In forming spiral coils heretofore it has been 10 usual to wind them into the form desired on a suitably rotating platform. To space the convolutions of the coil, a ribbon of steel of the width of the space desired between the convolutions was fed along with the tube into the winder. To

secure relatively large spacings between convolutions a'number of the steel ribbons were employed. After the coil was wound, it was'conveniently secured together by welding radial strips to several of the convolutions. Following this, the coiled steel ribbon was forced from between the convolutions of the coil to be subsequently uncoiled or straightened and used again. This process required that the apparatus used be able to coil the steel ribbon together with the tube which entails a relatively low rate of winding. Further, after the tube was wound into the coil and secured, it was necessary to dislodge the steel ribbon from between the convolutions of the coil. This was exceedingly diflicult and the straightening of the coiled ribbon required considerable time.

It is the object of my invention to provide for the formation of spirally wound coils in a manner which does not present certain of the disadvantageous features of the processes heretofore used.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a coil winder which enables a spiral coil to be formed at a much faster rate than has been heretofore possible.

r The invention possesses other advantageous features, some of which with the foregoing will be set forth at length in the following description where I shall outline in full that form of coil winder of my invention, which I have selected for illustration in the drawing accompanying and forming part of the present specification. In said drawing I have shown one form of coil winder embodying my invention, but it isto be understood that I do not limit myself to such form since the invention, as set forth in the claims, may be embodied in a plurality of forms.

In the drawing, to which reference has been made, Figure l is a plan view of a form of coil ,winder with a portion of the structure cut away to illustrate more clearly the formation of a coil,

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the coil winder, and

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional detail on the line 33 of Figure 1.

- In accordance with my invention I have been enabled to overcome those difliculties which I have mentioned and to form a spiral coil in a most advantageous manner. In carrying out my invention I have preferably utilized in place of the ribbon of steel a plurality of slugs or spacers which are positioned between the convolutions of the coil to space them from each other and to support them as the spiral is formed.

In carrying out my invention I have conveniently utilized an apparatus comprising a table 6 having a planar surface and mounted for rotation upon a base 7. The table is usually provided with a central cam 8 which is preferably of spiral profile sothat the initial portion of the spiral coil may be formed upon it. A recess 9, provided in the cam and in the table, is adapted to receive the bent over end 11 of a member or tube 12 to secure the tube to the table.

In operation, the tube is secured to the table and is urged into contact with the spirally formed cam by an arm 13. Arm 13 is pivoted at 14 and is pressed toward the central cam 8, conveniently by a relatively heavy spring 16, so that the tube is always urged toward the central cam. The table is then rotated from a suitable power source, not shown. This causes the tube to be wound to assume a spiral form.

When the first convolution of the spiral coil has been formed about the cam 8 and before the tube is beginning to bend around itself, slugs or spacers 17 are positioned between the tube and the convolution previously formed. This is con veniently done by placing a plurality of identical slugs in a. hopper 18 having a spout 19 discharging adjacent to the space between the formed convolution and the unbent tube. The slugs are made by cutting off circular cylindrical sections of pipe, tubing or rod of suitable height and of an outside diameter corresponding to the space between the convolutions or by providing other suitably formed members. The contour of the spacing slugs, therefore, bears no particular or direct relationship to the curvature of the convolutions. The slugs are positioned with their outside circular surface against the tube. Since the slugs are of relatively small diameter, at least no greater in diameter than the width of the space between successive convolutions, they readily conform to any curvature of the convolution against which they abut and without themselves being deformed appreciably or at all. Each slug therefore contacts each convolution at but a single point, and not at a plurality of points as do the previously used deformable steel strips.

The hopper is conveniently carried by a bracket 21 secured to the retractably mounted arm by a support 22 so that the discharge of the hopper is in a substantially constant relationship to the point at which the tube is bent into the spiral.

The feeding of the slugs from the hopper between the convolution and the tube is practically automatic, thus obviating entirely the difiiculty in handling the steel ribbons. I have been able to operate coil winding machines, utilizing my invention, at a much higher rate than has been heretofore possible. In one instance the speed has been doubled. This is probably contributed to by the reduction in friction between the circular spacers and the tube as compared to that present with the steel ribbons, and by the fact that only the tube is bent.

Following the formation of the spiral, the con volutions are joined together by welding several strips across them or by welding various of the slugs directly to the tube. The coil may then be removed from the machine, the loose slugs f alling out from between the convolutions. The coil is then ready for use while the slugs may be returned directly to the hopper to be used over again.

I claim:

1. In a coil winder, means for forming a relatively long member into a spiral coil, and spacing means adapted to be placed radially between convolutions of the coil, the contour of such spacing means being different than the radial curvature of said convolutions.

2. In a coil winder, means for forming a member into a coil having adjacent convolutions, and a plurality of bodies adapted for positioning between the convolutions, said bodies having an outside diameter in a plane parallel to the plane of the coil approximately equal to the space between convolutions.

3. In a coil Winder, means for forming a coil having a plurality of spiral convolutions, and spacing means adapted for positioning radially between convolutions, each of said spacing means contacting the adjacent convolutions at substantially a single point.

4. A device for forming a relatively long member into a spiral coil the respective convolutions of which are spaced from each other, comprising means for supporting and coiling the member, a plurality of spacing means for insertion between convolutions, each of said spacing means contacting the adjacent convolutions at substantially a single point, and means for urging the member into contact with the spacing means.

5. A coil winder comprising a table having a planar surface and a recess therein, a cam adjacent said recess, means for urging against said cam a member having an end hooked in said recess, means for rotating said table whereby said member is formed into a coil, and a plurality of circular cylindrical spacers arranged with their axes perpendicular to said table and located between successive convolutions of said coil.

6. A coil winder comprising means for forming a member into a spiral coil having a plurality of convolutions, and a plurality of circular cylindrical spacers adapted to be positioned radially between said convolutions with the axes of said spacers parallel to the axis of said coil.

7. The method of winding a coil having a plurality of spiral convolutions which comprises forming said coil and interposing a plurality of identical circular cylindrical spacers radially between successive convolutions thereof with the axes of said spacers parallel to the axis of said coil as said convolutions are being formed.

8. A coil winder comprising means for forming a member into a coil having a plurality of convolutions, and a plurality of circular spacers adapted to be positioned between said convolutions with the axes of said spacers parallel to the axis of said coil during the formation thereof.

9. A coil winder comprising means for forming a member into a coil having a plurality of convolutions, and a plurality of identical circular cylindrical spacers adapted to be positioned between said convolutions during the formation thereof.

ABNER DOBLE. 

